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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · pass · staff · mark · suit · cold · pit · arm

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — an illness
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a grade
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — clothes
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com